Finale 2008: Professional Music Management and Notation Software

Reviewed by Robert Pritchett

Introduction

“The latest upgrade to the world’s best-selling music software offers unprecedented playback options, major productivity enhancements and even more control for the perfect page. A few of the top-level additions found in Finale 2008 include:

·      Finale can record/import a mono or stereo audio file to enhance playback. No other notation software offers this capability.

·      Now more than 250 world-class Garritan instrument sounds are included free.

·      Finale’s interface has been streamlined to be more efficient, intuitive and consistent, particularly in the area of cut/copy/paste/insert.

·      Document Styles can instantly personalize the appearance of new documents, controlling text and music fonts, all libraries, text, graphics and page layout.

·      Enhanced Setup Wizard offers more options and control and provides intelligent page layout to reduce white space on the page.

·      Colored noteheads can be automatically configured to appear on specific pitches and to play back integrated Boomwhackers tuned percussion tube sounds.

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Finale 2008 is the first notation software to offer the ability to add an audio track,” stated John Paulson, chief executive officer of MakeMusic, Inc. “This unique feature allows you to hear your songs come to life with a real vocalist, or hear your concerto performed by a real instrumentalist.

“Finale is a crucial part of our workflow,” stated Glen W. Nardin, commanding officer of the First Cavalry Division Band. “We rely on Finale to constantly create and edit our charts in an effort to always remain fresh. Finale is easy to use and reliable. We’ve come to depend on Finale.”

Getting Started

Loading the software from the CDs requires the included serial number. After installation, the system also requires an authorization code only made available after online registration processing has been completed.

Musical instrument and voice configuration is painless. The tool buttons are beautiful works of art. And scoring consists of mouse-clicking away on the staffs!

The Installation and Tutorials manual consists of 212 pages with instructions for Windows first and Macintosh 2^nd in each section. Nothing is assumed, so MIDI is discussed, along with a lot music theory on chords, accidentals, tuplets, notes and rests working with measures, using HyperScribe for notation, transcribing and setting time signatures and beaming patterns

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Detail work includes changing keys and time signatures, entering lyrics, adding 2^nd verses, using the repeat tool, working with chord symbols and inner voices.

There is even a section on articulation, expressions, slurring and using libraries. After that there is print dedicated to measure layout, pickup measures, spacing, beat charts, paging, texting and graphing and even printing.

Then there is a section on setting Clefs and Staffs, hiding Staves, transposing instruments, styling and optimizing systems and linking parts.

There is even a section covering MIDI Channels and Instruments such as the Kontakt Player and Garritan Personal Orchestra. For more electronic fun, there is discussion on the Mixer, Human playback, the MIDI Tool, creating a Decrescendo and Intelligent Tempo Marking and Swing playback as well as syncing Finale to Video.

Those who intend to write music for guitar will like the section on guitar tablature, tab staff, string and fret numbers, entering slides, bends and tremolos, hammer-ons, pull-offs and other markings, and MIDI guitar.

The last section discusses fancy beam and stemming, measure numbers, the Shape Designer, scanning music and percussion maps.

The last apart of the book covers document style and templates order of entry, minimizing screen redraws, keyboard shortcuts, macros and linking to the rest o the world an learning more about MusicXML and plug-ins.

As of course, anything having to do with music notation and theory has a lot of pictures, but the video tutorials along with the manual don’t really make me flashback to music camp when I was a kid. The review we did for macCompanion magazine still was a reflection of the excellent job that MakeMusic did back then and they most certainly have come much closer to perfection this time around with Finale 2008.

My father, who is still a professional musician and loves playing with his orchestras, fiddling groups and quartets, is still intimidated by using this app on his Mac. However, he does have others who come by and they love using his machine to print out or save their music after transposing or adapting to their instruments.

Dad is still “old school” and still feels comfortable handwriting scores and tuning pianos. I think the video tutorials are the kind of thing he’d really enjoy and he’d “get it” once he sees them.

Conclusion

There is a reason why Finale 2008 is really a “Cadillac” in the music industry for music composition and notation, whether doing pieces for one instrument or for a full orchestra. They made it incredibly simple to use!

Recommendation

MakeMusic listened to our concerns and even has plans for a future Finale, only if we submit our requests – and they are freely soliciting comments and ideas for improving an already excellent product that truly enhances musical productivity and creativity. And of course, if you use Sibilius, they want you to switch ;^)